Finale in Florida

That was a tough loss last night…need a bounceback today from Charlie’s Dodgers…Haeger, that is.

One benefit of being on the East Coast is having the NY Times delivered to your doorstep in the team hotel and there was a great story in today’s paper regarding former Dodger Dixie Walker. Most know him as the player who started a petition against the signing of Jackie Robinson in 1947 but the article presents a slightly different view. As many know, Dixie went on to say it was the worst thing he ever did and with Jackie Robinson Night at Dodger Stadium coming up this Thursday, it’s always interesting to learn more about the history of the team we all love.

Also, some news for those coming to Opening Day…LeAnn Rimes will sing the National Anthem, Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas will throw out the ceremonial first pitch and Larry King will be the one to say “It’s Time for Dodger Baseball.”

And most importantly, if you’re coming out, try to carpool and come early. Maury Wills and Tommy Davis will take turns signing autographs at Autograph Alley and as you all know, it gets crazy trying to fit that many cars into our parking lots on the rare midweek day-game sellouts. Save yourself the frustration and come spend the morning at the yard. Auto gates open at 10:10 and turnstiles at 10:40.

Here’s today’s lineup:

Furcal, SS (got his 1,500th hit last night in the same game Manny got his 2,500th)

Anderson, LF

Kemp, CF

Loney, 1B

Belliard, 3B

DeWitt, 2B

Johnson, RF

Ellis, C

Haeger, P

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102 Comments

Yes, a tough, unacceptable, bleeping loss. But was this Torre’s fault? Of course not. You’ve got to play the hand you are dealt and you cannot run Broxton out there every night. We’re going to have to depend on the rest of the pen as well, and we all know Sherrill can do it and as things went, last night was his game. Sounds like he got squeezed. Should Joe go out and stick up for his guy? Perhaps. We’ll get this stuff over the course of the season and it’s never easy to take. Just hope it does not happen very often.

Tough loss especially when the umpire is decidedly not a Dodgers fan. That was blatant abuse of his authority squeezing Sherril like that.
I wonder how much that ump had on the game? I bet he’s collecting his money from his bookie this morning!

Good morning everyone……….
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I will agree that Sherrill was on the corner at the knees and didn’t get the calls…..tough break it happens. He still could of came in and up an inch instead of over the middle and chest high. Our pitching staff at the moment is struggling and not very sharp, which is evident by Torre going to the mound instead of Honeycutt. We have Russ and Ramon on the staff instead of Kuo and Belisario…..McDonald is in the minors, trying to his game back where we need it. Padilla is giving up runs early, it seems as if Troncoso is getting the ball up in the zone compared to last year where he was throwing stuff lower with more spin.
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We have potential here tons of it…..At the moment that’s all it is though potential……the potential for today is for Haeger to excell and the Boy’s to back him up with runs. Oh and the bull pen to man up when needed!!!
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GO DODGERS GO!!!!!!!!!

You can say what you want about this ballclub (we envision a solid group of guy’s ) ……but at the moment they aren’t playing like a very good ballclub……( The whole bunch of them not just the pitching staff.)
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Happy Flight Night Boy’s!!!

Hi everybody at ITD.
I get this unusual chance to see the start of a Sunday game because my daughter Claudine is going to a baby shower.
This 3-4 record actually matches last year’s start after 5 games, exactly a year ago today, in case someone didn’t know.
I went to bed thinking about Sherrill’s performance, in last night’s game. I woke up this morning thinking of Ethier’s PH double scoring Blake and DeWitt, which was IMO equal, if not better, than Joe DiMaggio coming out of the hospital to hit a homerun in his first AB, years ago.

Good morning to those on the West Coast and good afternoon for those on East and midwest.
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Good to read you again True!
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Josh,
But with the shuttle, it only starts 90 minutes before game time and by the time it gets to the stadium is might not be in time to get in thru the Field level. I was in the first shuttle for the game against the Indians and I barely made it to BP. Also for those getting to the stadium very early, you don’t get to see the ones on Autograph Alley ’cause you are already inside by the time they make their way there. Another thing if the players are going to greet the fans at the turnstiles, it has happened AFTER I am already inside
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Wish I had Haeger in my Baseball Fantasy team instead of Padilla.
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Emmahttp://crzblue.mlblogs.com

I’m having a hard time posting on this blog.
I’m getting a lot of page loading errors.
It happened on my second comment today.
My only remedy is to come off ITD.
Wait a while.
Then come back on.
So if yuse don’t hear from me for a while. I’ll be back.
I hope I get this one through.

Alright so 9 K’s through 4 but that was one looooong inning for Charlie with a lot of pitches thrown (39). The Fish HR given up was one thing but 3 walks and the passed ball really hurt him extending the inning way longer than it had to go.

This is now the 10 yrs anniversairy that Kevin Elster hit 3 homeruns at PBP or whatever phone booth they call now and spoil the Giants home opener.

The opening series took place from April 11?13, 2000 against the Los Angeles Dodgers (the team the Giants faced in their final series at Candlestick Park), and the Giants were swept in three games. In the first game of that series, the Giants lost 6-5, highlighted by three home runs from the Dodgers’ Kevin Elster.

Well, I hope being at home does the trick. Two games in a row of losing pretty much the same way (the bullpen) is getting kind of old real fast. Kudos to Haegar for his great effort today. You deserved that win today. It’s just kind of frustrating watching the gnats win around here, but it’s equally fun watching the A’s kick some Angel butt too. No offense Mr. Scioscia :))
GO DODGERS!!!!

Though six games is NOT a reliable sampling, I still feel sad that Frank and Jamie have let this pitching staff devolve to the extent that it has–and on a team that fought to the NLCS the past two seasons, no less. Rather than infuse the club with a few mighty arms in hopes of reaching the World Series, they chose Ned’s dumpster diving as a back door solution to contention in 2010. Hopefully, once Belisario and Kuo are healthy, the Ortiz twins say hello to AAA…or maybe even Padilla. But really, what a pitching train wreck.

I know it early but all the smack we talk about Martin last year I hope he have a better year than last year and gosh those numbers are terrible on the pitching part. I wish he wouldn’t have waited until another week.

I hate to say this but I do expect Padilla and Sherrill hiding injuries and all I need to here is Kuo and Belisario are activated and Padilla and Sherrill are on the DL. I find it funny you could still pitch bad as Sherrill in ST and he still guarantee a spot on the roster.

Nelly I’m afraid it’s going to be a long tough year. I really don’t see the Blue finishing higher than 3rd.
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The good news is that hopefully that will help push Frank to sell the team.
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But I’m going to hear it everyday from the Giant fans. Lame seeing as I’m pretty humble when the Dodgers have cleaned up on them the last few years. But hey that’s why they pay us the big bucks! Right?!!!

Collie – you would think around here they (gnats) have already won the division. I must say they got what they wanted in the off-season. They went out and got bats. Joe wanted SP in the off season, and what did he get?……………Padilla. Not quite the same effort was put forth on our side of things, and I know it’s early, but the off-season aquisitions are showing their true colors in the pitching department. However, tomorrow may start a whole new outlook with our Opening Day at Dodger Stadium.
GO DODGERS!!!

So Mota was so awful for us the first couple of months and what the heck he’s been so good for the Giants? Is there something wrong with me when I said I rather have Mota back over any of the Ortiz brother? I bet Mota would had shut the door down in that 7-1 games that ended up 7-3 when Broxton should’ve even been in that game in the 1st place.

Casey Janssen has 3 wins as a relievers for the Blue Jays. He must be the next Jesse Caine. I remember when the Twins already seem to used him in a tie game. If Frasor didn’t blow 2 saves the Blue Jay would be 7-0 in that divison and I would love to see them on top of the Yankees and Red Sox all year long.

The last time Torre lost a home opener was in 1997, when newly anointed closer Mariano Rivera couldn’t hold a 1-0 lead against Oakland, giving up a solo home run to Mark McGwire (one of 58 he would hit that year) in a game the A’s won in 12 innings. The winning pitcher on that day in The Bronx was 25-year old Aaron Small, who would make history eight years later with Torre’s Yankees as one of only four pitchers in baseball history to go undefeated with 10 or more wins.

Will the Dodgers make it a lucky 13 straight home opening wins for Torre when they take on the Diamondbacks tomorrow?

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